II. Because It Is Our Privilege as Christians

We should have a quiet time each day because it is a tremendous privilege that we have been granted – a personal interview and time of fellowship with the Creator of the Universe. This time allows us four great privileges.

• We GIVE devotion to God.
• We GET direction from God.
• We GAIN delight in God.
• We GROW more like God.

1. We GIVE Devotion To God.

First privilege is to give and not get.

What happens when we have a quiet time?

Ps 29:2

2 Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

Ps 95:6

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

In recent years two wrong emphases have permeated the church.

The overemphasizing of GETTING. What will I get out of church, Sunday School, what can you do for my kids etc…

This is the result of our cultures being fascinated with being entertained. People must be entertained to be satisfied. When carried over into spiritual matters it becomes self-centered religion and that is not biblical.

Today in many churches much talk is about following Jesus but not much about the cost of discipleship. We have to offer prizes to get people to come when they ought to be coming because they love the Savior.

The other is the over emphases of WORKING for God and neglecting the WORSHIP of God. Satan has sold us a bill of goods in getting us to substitute work for worship.

We are to give Him daily devotion because He DESERVES it.

When John saw the multitude in heaven singing praises to God, he heard them saying.

Rev 4:11

11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”

 Rev 5:1-10

5:1 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. 4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” 6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

We are to give Him daily devotion because He DESIRES it.

2. We Get Direction From God.

Direction for our daily lives. Look at what David said,

Ps 25:4-5

4 Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.

(Ps. 40:8, Ps. 73:24, Ps. 143:10, Isaiah 42:16)

Ps 40:8

8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.”

 Ps 73:24

24 You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory.

 Ps 143:10

10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.

 Isa 42:16

16 I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, And not forsake them.

Our quiet time is a great time to receive counsel from the Almighty.

When we get direction from God it causes us to consider our ways.

We take time to assess our lives.

That is what David did (Ps. 139:23-24 & Prov. 4:26, 14:12) Are we keeping on track? Are we growing in our spiritual life? Have we allowed sins to pile up?

Ps 139:23-24

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

 Prov 4:26

26 Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established.

 Prov 14:12

12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

Our quiet time is also a time to commit our day to the Lord.  

Prov 3:5-6

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Ask God to show you His will for the day. (Much of His will is found in spending time in His Word.)

Ask Him to help you budget your time to allow you to use yours more wisely.

Ask Him to help you sort the necessary from the unnecessary.

Only through meeting with Him daily will He be able to guide your life more effectively.

3. We Gain Delight in God.

To simply enjoy Him and bask in His presence. .

Ps 16:11

11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

The secret of real joy is knowing God personally and intimately.

Ps 34:8

8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Ps 37:4

4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Ps 42:1-2

As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

Ps 63:1

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.

Ps 73:25

25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.

Many Christians are unfulfilled and unhappy because they never spend any time in God’s presence..

The Apostle Paul number one priority was to know Him intimately.

Phil 3:7-11

7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

To know someone intimately and enjoy them personally you must…

• Spend quality time together.

• Communicate meaningfully with them.

• Observe them in a variety of situations. It is hard to have a love affair in a crowd. You need to get alone with that person. That is why the Bible speaks of our relationship with God through Christ as one of love. In fact it is a marriage – He is the Bridegroom and we are the Bride.)God said through the prophet Jeremiah in (Jer. 2:32). 32 Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number. We particularly forget Him when we fail to read the love letter (His Word) written to us. Donna kept all of the letters that I used to write to her before we were married. Sometimes she takes them out and reads them again. What will it be like when we stand before the Father and tell Him, I just did not have time to read your letter?

   

  Are you anxious to get alone with Him and share with Him intimately? If not we should be.

Sometimes we get so busy working for God or even with our own doings that we just forget to love HIM.

4. We GROW more like God.

How do we become more like Christ?

1st, we are made holy (like God) through the Word.

John 17:17

17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Our growth comes from through time spent in the scriptures, getting to know God intimately.

2nd, daily growth comes as the Word builds us up.

2 Tim 3:16-17

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

As we are taught in the ways of God, rebuked when we go astray, corrected to go back to the right path, and trained in righteous living, we cannot help but grow in the nurture and the admonition of God.

3rd, we grow as our minds are transformed from thinking the world’s way to thinking God’s thoughts after Him.

Rom 12:2

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

This only comes through Scripture, God’s revelation of His perfect will for us.

4th, through the promises of God we become more like God.

2 Peter 1:3-4

3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

We can only know Him and appropriate His promises through the Word.

5th, we grow through the help given us by our Christian leaders, who teach the Word to us.

Eph 4:11-13

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

6th, we become more like Jesus as we spend time contemplating Him.

2 Cor 3:18

18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

This change is gradual; as we continue contemplating Him in His Word, we grow more and more like Him. It is not a 5 second glimpse of Jesus that changes us, but rather a constant contemplation over a period of time.

The more you are with another person, the more you become like them. A couple married 50 years, so much alike. Like the same things, eat the same foods, and sometimes they start to look alike. The ultimate goal of the quiet time is for us to grow to be just like Jesus Christ.

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing with you some material that I have used in the past to teach from on “A Meaningful Quiet Time.” This information will appear in this blog each Monday and it will appear one point each week. You can print it ( I think, I’ll have to ask Eddie about that) and study it or you can email me or see me at church and I will give you a copy of it. I am in hopes that this will strengthen your daily walk with the Lord.

Pastor Steve

A Meaningful Quiet Time.

The Quiet Time is simply a daily time of personal fellowship with God through the Word and prayer. It is a time that we deliberately set aside in which to meet with Him. Its objective is that we might grow in our personal relationship and walk with Him. So that we might know Him better, love Him more deeply, and to become more like Him.

Why Should We Have A Quiet Time?

The Bible gives us 3 major reasons why.

I.  We Need Fellowship With God

As Christians and rightly related to the eternal God of heaven and earth, we must have regular fellowship with Him.

Why is it so important?

1. We were created to have fellowship with God.

 We were created in His image. We are also the only beings in creation that have the capacity to have fellowship with the Creator. God made us to have fellowship and Adam had it until the fall. (Gen 2&3)

2. Jesus died so that fellowship could be restored for us.

 When Adam sinned his fellowship with God was broken. All of us sinners who have followed Adam cannot naturally have fellowship with a pure and holy God. But God considered that relationship so important that He sent His Son to die for our sins that we might have the privilege of a personal relationship with Him. God has called us Christians to have fellowship with Him.

1 Cor 1:9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

 1 John 1:3-4 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

3. A regular quiet time during Jesus’ ministry was a source of His strength.

 Personal fellowship with the Father in Heaven was the top priority for Jesus.

Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

 Luke 5:16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

Luke 22:39-44 Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. 40 When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”  43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

He was never to busy for it; in fact when His ministry was the busiest it was then that He made certain to keep in fellowship with the Father.

John 5:30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

If Jesus needed this time, how much more do we need it.

4. Every great man or woman of God throughout history has spent much time alone with God.

Anyone who has ever been used mightily by the Lord was a man or a woman of both the Word and prayer. A daily quiet time was one thing they all had in common. The common denominator between Moses, David, Daniel, Paul, Charles Calvin, John Wesley, Charles Finney, D L Moody, Charles Spurgeon and Billy Graham and all the other great saints of history is that they all had a daily quiet time. Their writings speak of it and their ministries testify of it.

Someone said, “If you want to find out what a man is really like, find out what he is like when he is alone with God.”

Martin Luther (Father of Reformation) said, “I have so much to do today that I must spend at least three hours in prayer.”

If you are to busy for a quiet time you are to busy.

5. We cannot be healthy growing Christians without daily fellowship with the Lord.

Quiet time is not just a gentle suggestion;

It is a vital necessity for the Child of God.

It is absolutely essential for the further growth and maturity for the Christian.

Have you gone without food for a day? If you kept that up day after day soon you would be weak and sickly. The same is true in our spiritual lives. Most Christians get by on one meal a week. Some on one meal a month or two.

Job considered the Word more important than daily food.

Job 23:12 I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.

Jesus quoted from Deut. 8:3 when He said that man needs to live by every word coming from God.

Deut 8:3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.

 Matt 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'”

Peter called the Word “pure milk.”

1 Peter 2:2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,

The writer of Hebrews (5:12-14) calls it “Solid Food.”

Heb 5:12-14 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Have you ever gone a few days without a bath? If so then you know how sticky and grimy you feel after a little while. The Bible says that when we read the Word of God that we are cleansed. A daily quiet time is a spiritual bath.

From the observations above we can conclude that if we are not having a regular quiet time ….

• You are missing out on the privilege for which you were created.

• You are rejecting that which Jesus died to make possible.

• You will never experience the power and refreshment that Jesus did.

• You will never be used to your greatest potential by the Lord.

• You will remain a weak sickly Christian all of your life.I know that you are like me and it seems that we just don’t have time. We always make time for the things that are important to us and the things that really count. It is not a matter of time but of priorities. The key to making time for a quiet time is our commitment to Christ and the Kingdom of God.

Matt 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Put God first and you will have more time for Him. Don’t let anything rob you of this time. Preserve it at all costs.